Floyd Wilson, Deputy U.S. Marshal

[Shotgun Steve]

Floyd Wilson had been a deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas out of Ft. Smith for several years. He was appointed in 1884, in 1889 and again in 1892 when Deputy U.S. Marshal and Detective for the Pacific Express Company, Henry C. Dickey, explained he had a warrant for Henry Starr and asked Wilson if he would help capture Starr. Henry Starr had been arrested for horse theft in December 1891 and failed to appear in court. He was also suspected of robbing the Nowata Railway Depot of $1,700, followed by more robberies. An additional warrant being issued on November 18, 1892, On Tuesday, December 13, 1892, as they were finishing dinner at the XU Ranch, Arthur Dodge rode up and told them he had just seen Starr riding by. Wilson and Dickey ran to the corral for their horses. Wilson's horse was already saddled. He rode off in the direction Starr had gone. Dickey would be several minutes behind Wilson since he had to saddle his horse. Wilson caught up with Starr on Wolf Creek shouting to him, "Hold up, I have a warrant for you." Starr stopped his horse, turned back toward Wilson and shouted back to Wilson, "You hold up." Wilson announced he was a federal officer and then fired a warning shot over Starr's head. Starr quickly fired several shots hitting Wilson and knocking him off his horse. Starr then approached Wilson as he was lying on the ground and shot him once more, point blank, in the chest, killing him. When Dickey arrived he found Wilson's body, noting the powder burns on his coat and five bullet wounds in the lawman. Wilson had been shot in the left hip, right hip, left thigh, left lower leg and once in the chest. Starr eluded a huge manhunt for the next six months. In July, he was arrested in Colorado and extradited to Ft. Smith where he was tried and found guilty of Wilson's murder. After several appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, he pleads guilty to manslaughter and is sentenced to three years. He also received a sentence of seven years for robbery. He was released in 1903. Five years later, he resumes his life of crime. On February 18, 1921, Henry Starr attempts his last bank robbery in Harrison, Arkansas. He is shot and arrested and died of his gunshot wounds on February 22nd.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Floyd Wilson was returned to Ft. Smith, Arkansas where he is buried.